Chains with coded links are known in the art and used, for example, for lashing loads. For this purpose the free end of the chain is fastened on the load to be lashed tightly, and a link is inserted into a tightening device for tightening the chain. The chain is subsequently tightened with the tightening device. In order for the chain to be loaded according to specification, it is essential that the link placed into the link receptor of the tightening device engages the link receptor with its narrower half pointing toward the load, which is the link receptor. If the load is secured to the other half of this link, the chain cannot be loaded with its nominal load.
For this reason chains have been developed whose links have a placement coding, such that the oriented emplacement of such a link in the link receptor is possible in the specified direction pointing toward the load. This known coding is marked by stamping the material of the longitudinal shanks to produce outwardly projecting cams on the two longitudinal shanks. The inner width of a link coded in this way is not affected by this stamping for the development of said coding. Due to the cams the maximum outer width of the coded link in the region of the half away from the load is greater than the outer width of the link in the region of its segment to be inserted into a link receptor matched to this width. Such a link can consequently only be inserted with the narrower half into the link receptor. In this way incorrect insertion is effectively prevented.
Such links have been produced for many years and have been applied in unchanged form. Even though these chains do prevent incorrect handling of such a chain when placing a link into a link receptor for lashing loads, there are disadvantages with the known prior art chains. These disadvantages relate to the handling of the known chains, since the links become jammed with one another. Before a chain load is placed onto the chain, it must be ensured that the individual links are not jammed with one another. The handling of such a chain, therefore, entails effort and expenditures.
Building on this discussed prior art, the invention addresses the problem of further developing a chain such that jamming—as described above—is prevented.
This problem is solved according to the present invention by having the inner width of the links correspond at least to the length of the longest-axis cutting across the material forming the cross sectional area of the subsequent link joined with this chain link.